A woman left with an agonising trout pout after using a new toothpaste is suing makers Colgate for compensation.
Mum Denise Correia Santiago says she became a laughing stock after an apparent allergic reaction to the firm's Total Clean Mint.
The 45-year-old teacher's lips and tongue became massively swollen with red sores which were so painful she could not eat.
Denise Correia Santiago, 45, poses in undated photo. She suffered an allergic reaction after using toothpaste, in Miracatu, Brazil. Note: Private photo taken from local media. (Newsflash/NX)
Her agony increased when painful swelling spread to her throat and tonsils.
Denise, from Miracatu, in the state of Sao Paulo in Brazil, said she had been using the toothpaste for five days before she felt a burning sensation in her lips on 27th March.
She explained: "I started to feel a dryness in my mouth, then a red spot appeared, as if it was a burn.
"But those burns spread through my mouth, around it and inside the entire lip."
Denise Correia Santiago, 45, shows her lips in undated photo. She suffered an allergic reaction after using toothpaste, in Miracatu, Brazil. Note: Private photo taken from local media. (Denise Correa Santiago/Newsflash/NX)
Denise added: "My biggest fear was going hungry for such a long time.
"Pain and hunger bothered me more than how it looked but of course I was a laughing stock for some people.
"My tongue was burned all over, there were burns on my gums, everything is still sensitive.
"I didn’t think a toothpaste could cause all this damage.
"When I clean my teeth I brush and spit out the paste, I don't swallow it."
Denise says she was only cured when she went to a hospital casualty unit and she was treated with anti-allergy drugs.
Picture shows the Colgate toothpaste the woman used, undated. She suffered an allergic reaction after using toothpaste, in Miracatu, Brazil. Note: Private photo taken from local media. (Denise Correa Santiago/Newsflash/NX)
The burns were apparently triggered by a change of ingredients in the toothpaste the caused an allergic reaction in Denise.
She said: "I would like the information about the product to be written in larger letters.
"And when the manufacturer mentions that the product has a new formula, specify what that new component is prominently in the packaging."
Her attorney Victor Hugo Herculano da Silva said: "We will take all legal measures appropriate for the reparation of all physical and psychological damage suffered from this event."
Denise Correia Santiago, 45, shows her lips in undated photo. She suffered an allergic reaction after using toothpaste, in Miracatu, Brazil. Note: Private photo taken from social media. (Denise Correa Santiago/Newsflash/NX)
He says Colgate were "irresponsible" claiming they changed ingredients without doing the proper safety tests.
In a statement Colgate said they regret "adverse situations" involving the use new formula toothpaste.
They said: "We understand the seriousness of the reactions reported by some of our customers and we are strongly committed to the investigation of each report."
Denise Correia Santiago, 45, shows her lips in undated photo. She suffered an allergic reaction after using toothpaste, in Miracatu, Brazil. Note: Private photo taken from social media. (Denise Correa Santiago/Newsflash/NX)
Brazil's health regulators Anvisa suspended all sales of the product after receiving 13 complaints from users but suspended the ban when Colgate appealed.
Colgate stated: "It is important to reaffirm that the product does not offer health risks, but some people may be sensitive to certain ingredients - such as tin fluoride, dyes or flavours."